Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department decided to cap the Sustainable Farming Incentive at £1.05 billion for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 financial years.

As of 11 March, £1.05 billion had been paid to farmers or committed for payment through existing agreements or submitted applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

The SFI is an important offer, but it is part of a wider package which is why Defra must manage the farming budget flexibly to respond to demand, and achieve our intended outcomes for farm productivity, environment, climate and animal health and welfare.